Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct.8/ Trend G.Mehdi/
The Iranian ceramic and cement production grew by 7.8 percent and 4.1 percent during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 20, compared to the same period last year, an official with the industry ministry of Iran Mohammad Fatemian said,l IRIB reported.
Ceramic and cement outputs amounted to 139.1 million tons and 38.8 million tons, respectively, IRIB quoted Fatemian as saying.
Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari has said that Iran holds two percent of the world's total mineral reserves.
He added that the mineral reserves include 12 metal and 36 non-metal ores.
Some 5,000 mines are being exploited in the country, he said, adding that around 340 million tons of minerals were extracted in the past year, which ended on March 19.
Meanwhile, the deputy head of Iran's Geology and Mineral Exploration Organization Behrouz Borna has said that the country ranks first in the Middle East for possessing the region's largest mineral reserves, Press TV reported.
Iran is ranked among the 15 major mineral-rich countries of the world and exports its industrial and mineral products to 159 countries, including Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Afghanistan.